PS3 gamers appreciate art more than Xbox 360, Wii users - Journey dev

PlayStation 3 gamers have a deeper proclivity for artistic games than Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii users, according to Journey developer and thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen. Speaking to VentureBeat, Chen plainly stated, "The player who owns a PlayStation 3 is more likely to be interested in artistic games compared to Wii and Xbox 360."

Expanding on his claim, Chen said titles offered on Sony platforms are aimed at an older crowd, and suggested the publisher seeks to promote titles that users can emotionally connect with.

"Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste," he said. "They care about how grown-ups feel toward their games."

In a statement provided to VentureBeat, PlayStation senior director of digital platforms Jack Buser agreed with Chen's assessment.

"Our primary PSN audience is indeed more adult, and many of our best-selling titles appeal to this demographic," reads a line from the statement. "Many PlayStation and PSN games have themes that require a user to think and feel about a deep, immersive gameplay experience, and we see that exemplified in the success of titles like Flower, Journey, and Heavy Rain. Titles like these can only be found on PlayStation, and our users enjoy the emotional and thematic sophistication of their games, especially with our digital offerings."

Chen's latest project was Journey, which became the PlayStation Network's fastest-selling title of all time following its release in March, though Sony did not parse specific sales figures. A not-so-traditional title, the game casts players as a robed adventurer, wandering through an expansive desert world, journeying toward a distant mountain.